Respected former member of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) Dr. Charles Yves Wrecko Brobbey, has accused President Akufo-Addo of using state power to muzzle media freedom in Ghana.
Airing his thoughts on the state of the media on the occasion of world radio day today, the former Chief Executive of the Volta River Authority (VRA) said the government’s brazen attacks on the media, which has resulted in the continued closure of the likes of Radio Gold and Radio XYZ is shocking.
“I think the President has lost touch with his tradition; those beliefs that guided his fight for media freedom in the past. Akufo-Addo has abandoned his tradition,” Dr. Wrecko Brobbey said.
He pointed out that the latest closure of Radio Tongu in the Volta Region over the Station’s alleged support for a secessionist agenda there also shows that the Akufo-Addo government is now determining what acceptable media contents is.
According to him, the current atmosphere in the country is one that strangulates media freedom under a President who is touted as a champion of human rights, democracy and press freedom.
Radio Gold and Radio XYZ, which are perceived to be leading Radio Stations allied with the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) were clamped down by the National Communications Authority (NCA) last year.
The NCA had claimed that they had not been up to date with the renewal of their licenses, however, the two Stations deny the accusation, saying they have made attempts to pay the necessary fees but the Communications Ministry has simply refused to allow them back on air.